The report of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel Task and Finish Group will be submitted. 

In the absence of Councillor Wildy (Chair), Councillor Stark (Vice Chair of the Task and Finish Group and Vice Chair of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel) has been invited to attend Cabinet to present the report.

(Please see also agenda item 9 below).  

Councillor James (Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board) submitted the task and finish report on behalf the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel.  In the absence of Councillor Stark, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Sam Leaves reported that –

a.                   the Children’s Trust had accepted the recommendations made by the task and finish group;

b.                  there were waiting time concerns and an action plan was produced by Plymouth Community Healthcare to monitor the waiting times;

c.                   a communication was sent to all schools last November clearly outlining the interventions on offer through the Targeted Mental Health in Schools Project.

The Director for People submitted a written report on the recommendations of the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel’s Task and Finish Group.

Agreed the recommendations from the scrutiny task and finish and request as set out below and that the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel continue to monitor progress against the action plan.

1.              The Panel extends its congratulations to members of the Youth Cabinet for their work in carrying out the survey of attitudes towards mental health that is referenced in this report;

2.          Representatives of Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Panel attend the Youth Cabinet to feed back on the report and recommendations following task and finish review

3.          The Council should consider the use of social media networks to promote consultation initiatives

4.          The Children’s Trust allocates responsibility to a lead agency to develop a framework that clearly identifies the roles of statutory and non-statutory agencies and the resources available both in prevention and early intervention work with regard to mental health among children and young people.

5.          The Children’s Trust review reasons for non attendance of key professionals at Common Assessment Framework meetings, and make recommendations to ensure that such meetings are timely and properly resourced, with particular attention being paid to the role of Educational Psychologists and communication interaction professionals.

6.          Plymouth Community Healthcare (PCH) prepare a communications strategy with respect to children and young people’s mental health and revise content of media as appropriate

7.          The Panel commends the Excellence Cluster for their flexible approach to the delivery of services and the best practice demonstrated in their work

8.          PCC and PCT commissioners review the range of early intervention services available and assess the value for money of the range of options.

9.          The Council ensures that key universal services including schools and youth services are notified of alternative counselling services available in the city.

10.              The Council update the Panel regarding the impact of new multi-disciplinary locality teams on Children’s emotional well being and mental health services in six months

11.              An urgent summit meeting to be arranged between strategic leads from CYPOSP, PCC, PCT and PCH regarding the findings of this report

12.              PCH review the cost effectiveness of participation support services for young people using mental health services

13.              The Children’s Trust investigate and report on ways in which the work of clinicians and other children’s professionals can be better coordinated with respect to mental health support

14.              The Children’s Trust establishes a clear and transparent process for the identification, monitoring and escalation of issues such as those identified in this report.

15.              Commissioners from the Children’s Trust provide interim updates to CYPOSP on the response to these recommendations.

(The Chair took agenda items 7 and 9 together to facilitate good meeting management).